Volume 34 · Number 3 · Summer 2018
Archives Spotlight J. William Horsey and the Development of the Citrus Industry along West Haines Street in Plant City, Florida by Gil Gott, Executive Director Plant City Photo Archives & History Center
J. William Horsey Corporation, West Haines Street, at the State Farmers Market, 1950-1951. Horsey, shorter man in the back center, his son, W. Grant Horsey is the taller man to his right, (our left), by the door frame.
Foreword
Two years ago, I received a phone call from a man in North Carolina who said he was cleaning out his barn and found two orange juice cans marked J. William Horsey, Plant City, Florida, and did I want them. I never heard of the Horsey company but naturally I said yes! Please send them. He did, and I researched our photo and document collections and was surprised to find 38 photos of Horsey Corporation or its subsidiaries. After researching newspaper files, the story got more interesting and I decided to write a brief story about J. William Horsey and his businesses. J. William Horsey Corporation The headline read: “THREE CITRUS CANNING COMPANIES WITH FIVE PLANTS ARE MERGED BY HORSEY FIRM.” It was Wednesday, October 2, 1946. According to The Tampa Continued on Page 8
Message from the President Dear SFA Members, The 2018 Annual Meeting, in May, was a great success in large part to the dedication of our local arrangements committee members Sandra Varry, Tyeler McLean, Rory Grennan, Robert Rubero, and Krystal Thomas. I would also like to thank all Brittney Farley presenters, vendors and volSFA President unteers for marking another year of SFA’s dedication to connecting archivists and information professionals across the state. The Annual Meeting was a celebration of the 35th year of the founding of the Society of Florida Archivists and, as such, was commemorated in the state capital Tallahassee, FL. We are honored that Florida Secretary of State, Ken Detzner accepted our invitation to attend our annual meeting. In his opening statement he referenced the continued relationship of Florida state government with Florida’s unique cultural heritage. Along with the opportunity to view presentations, highlighting the initiatives of our colleagues, it was amazing to meet with new archivists and students. I’m always inspired by the zeal of incoming archivists and even more humbled by their willingness to be actively involved in our organization. Photographs from the Annual Meeting are available on the main SFA page. For those who were unable to attend, copies of the meeting presentations can be found here: https://floridaarchivists.wildapricot.org/2018 -Annual-Meeting-Presentations Outreach has always been a major tenet of the Society Florida Archivists’ mission. Continued on Page 9